Christopher Kemp and Sarah Gray
From a sword fight demonstration to a venue with a special history, Christopher Kemp and Sarah Gray’s wedding was full of unique personal touches.
The couple, who were friends for several years before they got together, was married at Sarah’s parents’ property near Echunga on November 24, 2023.
“I love the property and it was my first choice of venue,” Sarah says.
“We held the ceremony and reception in the paddock behind the house, which also happens to be the same paddock my parents met in.
“Mum was camping over for a cycling event that Dad’s parents were organising.”
Chris and Sarah first met while studying geology at the University of Adelaide, but they reconnected during Palaeontology Week some time after graduating and began spending time together with a group of friends who played VR.
It was another two years before they started dating and Chris later proposed to Sarah at one of their regular VR gatherings.
“He proposed with an aluminium 3D printed ring he designed and printed himself, which is incredibly awesome and something I will treasure forever,” Sarah says.
Chris and Sarah were married by celebrant Bronwen James, who they say did a “phenomenal” job running the ceremony, while an impromptu sword fight demonstration (by students and friends of Chris’ martial arts school) and a magnificently manicured paddock were among their highlights on the day.
“My dad had spent almost every weekend leading up to the event mowing the entire area with the tractor,” Sarah says.
“He even got the push mower and whipper snipper out for the detailed bits.
“I don’t know how many hours he spent out there, but he managed to turn a pretty rough patch of land into a beautifully manicured garden just for the event.”
Dress: Two dresses, both op shop finds
Flowers: Sarah’s sister in law, Dominique, of Dandy Lane Flowers
Photographer: James Field
